


Mellow Twilight

by FandomLastsForever



Series: RWBY Rarepair Week! [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Before James gets his prosthetics, Camping, M/M, Nature is so cliché, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-14
Updated: 2017-09-14
Packaged: 2018-12-29 20:04:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12092424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomLastsForever/pseuds/FandomLastsForever
Summary: James has been spending the two months at Taiyang's home, and try as he might, he can't forget about their almost kiss from day one.





	Mellow Twilight

**Author's Note:**

> Day 2 of Rarepair week! I went with the prompt Aura. Hope you like it!

_"Hey, you should talk to my brother-in-law. I think having a pen-pal will be good for you, Jimmy."_

_"I don't need a pen-pal."_

_"Actually, Qrow has a point. Talking with people other than us might be a nice change of pace."_

_"...Very well then..."_

James Ironwood never meant to grow attached to his little pen-pal from Patch.

He thought it would have subsided the moment they came face to face.

Instead, the slight affection only grew more intense.

It had been almost a month since he arrived on the island. A month since his tattoo had given him one hell of a night. One month since he finally saw Taiyang face to face. Since being offered the guest room and lessons in using the new addition to his arsenal.

Since their almost kiss.

 _Perhaps it was a little too fast,_ James thought. _We've only been talking for a few months. It's not like I expected love at first sight. We're just colleagues. Nothing more._

And that was the mindset he tried to retain for the past few weeks.

_Taiyang is a friend and colleague. Nothing more, nothing less._

But every passing day made it harder to keep it that way. Every time James thought he knew what to expect from his companion, Tai would surprise him with something new. That simple porridge he expected for breakfast? There were omelets instead, a side of fruit and turkey bacon, with freshly brewed coffee to boot. A simple sparring match in the gyms at Signal? No, not with Taiyang. There were tennis ball machines in various positions around them, shooting projectiles at them as they took turns trying to land a punch.

He lost count of how many times Taiyang laid him flat on his ass.

Mastering the tattoo was far more of a challenge than he ever thought possible. Every so often it'd try to take over and make him float when he didn't want to. The amount of attention he to put into weighing himself down was something he never expected to happen. And this was only one mark. He couldn't imagine having to master three.

And the worst part of the last month, was that James was almost certain Taiyang was trying to flirt with him.

But for every challenge James was thrown, he managed to throw another right back at Tai. If Taiyang made breakfast, James insisted on making dinner, which more often than not involved various steamed vegetables, meatloaves, and casseroles. If there was an opening during training, he'd make use of the Dust in his skin and add a little extra force to his punches. For every pun Taiyang mad, James joked right back.

Every smile was matched. Every look. Every movement.

Soon it became less like a friendly competition between colleagues, and more like dates. Every training session ended with getting coffee, long walks, and talking endlessly into the night about things they never discussed over the phone. James started to learn more about Tai beyond his fighting and jokes. He learned that Xiao Long was a kind, caring man who sometimes struggles to sleep at night, and sometimes even more so to get up in the morning. He was a doting father, a grand teacher, a gentle spirit.

It didn't take James too long to realize Taiyang was far more than just a friend to him.

And that scared him.

But he would never admit it.

And so, James let the rest of his vacation time pass by. He spent time with the girls, helping Yang with her punches and running laps with Ruby. Sometimes he'd spar with Qrow if he was present, the two of them giving the kids a show. He'd eat with the family, wash up, and head to bed in the guest room.

And every night, he and Tai would say good night with a light embrace when no one was looking.

 _There has to be more,_ James realized. _He wouldn't act that way around me if he didn't care for me, would he?_

As much as he wanted a straight answer, he decided not to press the matter. He'd be leaving soon. And once he was gone, there was no telling when he would be back.

If he'd ever be back.

 _Stop being so negative, James,_ he told himself. _Just...focus on the now. Focus on him. Enjoy something for once._

And he tried his best to do so.

But Tai didn't make it easy.

About a week or two away from the end of his vacation one day, Taiyang packed a camping set in the back of the car and told James to sit in the passenger's seat and keep his eyes closed until they got to their location. The girls would be spending the next few days with a friend and Qrow would be house sitting.

It would be just the two of them.

"So where exactly are we going?" James asked nervously.

"You'll see," Tai hummed. "Just be patient."

James resisted the urge to roll his eyes and remained still as they drove along the old dirt road. The windows were rolled down, allowing a breeze to flutter smoothly over his skin. The radio was low, playing a gentle country tune that sounded very at home in his mind. Time seemed to fade into nothingness.

_I wish things could stay like this forever._

As the moments slowly drifted by, James started to feel a set of fingers lacing with his.

"Both hands on the wheel, silly," James chuckled.

"No need," Tai said. "We're here."

James didn't even notice that the car had come to a stop. He was so at peace it didn't even register that the breeze had vanished, or that the sound of pebbles beneath rubber was no more. "Can I open my eyes then?"

"Sure thing."

James slowly opened his eyes and followed Taiyang out of the car. They had arrived at a small clearing near the mouth of a small cave. The sun was starting to set while the clouds drifted by slowly, the shattered moon slowly rising to claim its place in the night sky.

James was surprised to say the least.

"We're having a campout!" Taiyang proclaimed as he started to unpack. "Now, should we prep the tent or do you want to use the cave as shelter? There's no Grimm in there, so it's as good a place as any."

"Why are we camping near a cave?" James asked.

Taiyang set the bags on the ground, lightly scratching the back of his neck. "Well...I know you said you were going to be with your troupes someplace mountainous...and mountains mean chance of caves so...figured if you wanted, we could explore a bit...get you used to being inside a cave with your new tattoo." He lightly kicked at the ground, his ears turning a soft pink. "Only if you want to though. I train in there often enough, so it's more than stable-"

James wandered over and pulled him into a tender embrace, smiling fondly as he whispered, "It's perfect. Thank you Tai."

Taiyang's arms instinctively wrapped around James' waist, his head resting against the General's shoulder. "Not a problem, Jim."

**_Drip, drip, drop._ **

The clouds began to roll in faster, and slowly the rain started to overtake them. In a panic, the two of them grabbed what they could from the car and hurried into the cave, heading in about a good twenty feet with their supplies and watching as it became a torrential downpour.

"Nature's so cliché," Tai grumbled. "The weather was supposed to be nice all weekend and we get a downpour."  
James stifled a laugh and lightly ruffled Tai's damp locks. "It's alright, Tai. At least we're safe in here, right?"

Tai grinned and nodded in agreement, and the two of them set to work making camp. They travelled further into the rocky shelter until they came to a small cavern off the right about ten meters away from the exit. It looked similar to the clearing outside, though instead of trees, there were several different kinds of crystals growing from the floor.

Taiyang pulled out the lanterns and used the Burn in his left arm to light them, turning his pointer finger into a temporary lighter. James rolled out their sleeping bags, making sure they would be as comfortable as possible on the hard surface. They had a few pots, some tinned cans and an opener, as well as the fixings for s'mores. There were plenty of bottle of water and a first aid kit as well.

But there were no towels among the bags, and the two of them were soaked.

"Looks like we'll be wet for a while," James sighed.

"What's the matter?" Tai asked.

"No towels."

"You're kidding." Taiyang went and checked every bag, face pinched in frustration. "Shit, you're right. Dammit." He shook his head , mentally cursing himself for forgetting something. "Looks like we'll have to do it the old fashioned way."

Before James could ask what he meant, Tai was already heading over to one of the smaller crystals that stuck from the side of the cave wall. Without batting an eye, he proceeded to undress, hanging his clothes as though it were just another day of doing laundry.

"What are you doing?!" James stammered, looking away in embarrassment.

"I'm taking off my clothes so I don't get sick," Tai stated. "Just down to the skivvies." He glanced over his shoulder, perplexed. "Isn't this what you Atlesians usually do?"

"No," James mumbled. "We don't usually get caught in the rain unprepared, and when we do, there's different protocols."

Tai shrugged and finished dressing down, lightly pushing his bangs back. "Well, you better follow the Xiao Long protocol tonight, Jimmy. We'll be drying off the way they did back in the old days." He took a seat on top of his sleeping bag, legs crisscrossed and arms gently relaxed in his lap. "Just follow my lead, okay?"

Hesitantly, James took a deep breath and headed over to an empty crystal, glancing over just once to check to see if Taiyang was watching. When he saw that Tai had his eyes closed, James relaxed and began to undress until only his undershirt and boxers remained, hanging his clothes as he did so. By the time he rejoined Tai at the sleeping bags, he was already starting to feel the chill.

_Maybe I should have opted for a Burn tattoo instead._

"Ready?" Taiyang asked, not opening his eyes.

"I am," James said, copying Taiyang's posture.

Tai smiled and began to breath. There was a steady rhythm; four beats in, four beats out. James did his best to follow along, but he couldn't pull his gaze away from Tai. With every breath, Taiyang began to slowly cover himself in a soft golden glow, with flecks of blue swirling near the corners of his eyes. The light from Tai bounced off of the cave walls, causing a slight prismatic effect anytime it hit one of the crystals.

"You drying off?" Tai asked.

"I...No," James admitted. "It's been awhile since..."

"Since you used your Aura like this?" Tai opened one eye, smiling fondly. "Need a hand?"

Feeling the back of his neck flush, James nodded and watched as Taiyang moved closer to him, the two of them sitting face to face with their fingers intertwined.

"Close your eyes," Tai said softly. "Take a breath. Count to three. Focus on your spirit, and what you want it to do."

James followed his instruction, taking a deep breath as his eyes slid closed. He tried his best to focus on himself. What he wanted it Aura to do. But the same thing that had been pulling him away from common sense since he arrived on Patch was taking his every thought away once again. The exact same thought that had been running through his mind for the last several weeks.

He couldn't really deny it any longer.

_I'm truly in love with Taiyang._

"James?"

James looked up and saw a slight blue covering his arms, tapering off into a vibrant green as the light reached their hands. His entire body felt warm, the water having faded away by the heat their Aura radiated.

"Feel better?" Tai chuckled.

"Yeah," James sighed contently. "Thanks...I didn't realize how out of touch with the old ways Atlas is..."

The two of them snickered and Tai gently moved closer. "Well, I guess I'll need to give you some notes to take back to the Academy."

"That'd be wonderful." James watched as one of Tai's hands gently moved up his right arm, a trail of green lightly taking over in place of blue.

"Strange," Tai whispered.

"What's strange?"

"It's just...I've had to dry off like this before. Sometimes my entire team did and...well..."

James felt a chill running up his spine. "And well, what?"

"I don't know," Tai sighed. "It's just that I've never seen people's Aura behave this way. It's almost as if they're trying to fuse together."

James gingerly placed a hand against Tai's face, watching the green swirl pleasantly on his cheek.

"Is that such a bad thing?" he asked softly.

Tai gently cupped his face, pulling him closer. "Not at all."

James' heart beat faster as their lips met. It was warm, soothing to the touch as one kiss soon became two, and so on. James' fingers lightly trailed across Tai's shoulders in languid movements as Tai's hands slowly came to rest upon the back of his neck. When they finally pulled back to breath, it was all they could do not to laugh.

"You should see your face," Tai hummed. "You look like a green clad clown."

"So do you," James scoffed.

"But I make it work."

"Oh, is _that_ how it is?"

"Yes it- ** _woah!_** "

James lifted Tai into his lap, a throaty chuckle escaping him as Tai gave him a pout. With every touch the blue and gold hues softly faded into green, the light emitting from them both bathing the cave in its loving glow.

"I wish things could stay like this forever," James whispered.

Taiyang smiled and pressed a chaste kiss upon his brow. "I wish they could too..."

They stayed close together like that for a while longer, only pulling away when they began to get hungry. The rest of the night played out like any other camping trip, save for the campfire that was replaced with Taiyang's Burn tattoo.

When it came time to sleep, they unzipped the sleeping bags and laid them out so that they could lie together, James' arms gently wrapped around Tai's waist as his back was lightly pressed against his chest. Their Aura had faded, leaving the cavern to be lit only by the lamps.

James buried his face in Tai's hair, smiling fondly. He wasn't sure why, but all the self doubt he'd been having had finally begun to disappear.

"Tai?"

"Yeah James?"

"...I love you."

The words felt so good to finally say out loud.

Taiyang glanced over his shoulder, his cheeks flushed from bashfulness.

"I love you too, James."

With one last kiss, the two of them snuggled close and drifted off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Whoop, there it is. They kissed. Wahoo!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the story!


End file.
